Furniture That Encourages Activity: Imagine having to get up to turn on a light or get up on your toes for something on a shelf or even “actively” sitting in a chair – blasphemy! With so many inventions popping up that make these simple things as easy as a touch on a smartphone, French industrial designer Benoît Malta crafted his Passive Behavior collection. His furniture requires some kind of activity to be useful, such as his two-legged chair. See how that works at Treehugger.

Are Renovations To US Embassies Putting Employees At Risk?: Money, politics and design – seems like a balancing act right? Since 2009, when Secretary of State John Kerry commented that US Embassies look like “fortresses”, many have been re-designed to be more welcoming. But is increased appeal coming at the expense of security? Hyperallergic has an interesting op/ed on the subject.

As Memorial Day looms, so does the opening of the city’s greatest isle of relaxation: Governors Island. You know summer is almost here when the ferries start running over to Manhattan getaway, so head to the ferry terminal this weekend!